10 Reasons To Hope For BlackBerry 10

Its been a tough couple of years for Research in Motion. The BlackBerry maker still has a faithful following of physical-keyboard loving users, but Apple, Samsung and cheaper smartphone makers from Asia have smashed RIMs market share. Its stock has fallen almost 90% in the last five years; last quarter it posted another weak set of financial results. Some say BlackBerry 10, the new phone RIM will launch on Jan. 30th, could be a make-or-break device.

So whats it like? RIM gave Forbes a demo of the phones software at CES 2013, unveiling some impressive features and factoids. Here are 10 of them, with a video of the demo below.
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1) First a crucial factoid: carriers apparently like it. So far 150 of them from around the world are testing BlackBerry 10 in their labs, according to CMO Frank Boulben, which means theyll almost certainly carry the phone. He expects 200 carriers to offer BB 10 by the summer of 2013.

2) The phone is launching with more than 70,000 available apps, along with new features to BlackBerry Messenger that RIM will disclose at launch.

3) The phone takes away a physical home buttons a bit like Nokias Lumia phones. It relies on lots of swiping gestures and shortcuts for one-handed use by on-the-go business types.

4) The mobile platform, based software by QNX, allows users to have two personas on the device one for work and one for private life, with separate background images and a password that can stop kids from accidentally calling someones boss. Users can swap between the two with a single gesture, and decide what content is deemed personal and accessible, or private and professional on the same device.

5) A new feature called BlackBerry Hub. This is a neat amalgamation of all notifications that users access by swiping in an L shape, up and to the left. When writing an email and a new one comes in, users can also swipe slightly to peek at the content, before continuing with their email. No need to press a button or delete any draft of the email.

6) BlackBerry Hubs integration with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and LinkedIn with potential for other developers to allow their apps to integrate with the Hub too. Users dont have to go into any of these applications to update their profiles or comment on these networks, but do it all in the Hub.

7) Quick context and aggregation. BlackBerry has created an apparently seamless system that allows you to get relevant information on people in your calendar. Swipe down to see the next appointment, then tap to see previous meetings youve had with the person, or what they last said to you in an email, or what a Google search on them brings up, or their LinkedIn profile all within a couple of windows and without opening a browser. It follows your train of thought, says Boulben, who described this experience as BlackBerry Flow.

8) A keyboard that learns. This applies to the touch-screen version of BlackBerry 10, since RIM is bringing out a second BB 10 device with a physical keyboard. The application scans every email or instant message youve sent and builds an algorithm to better predict what words youll type rumor has it RIM partnered with A.I. startup SwiftKey on this. Predicted words hover on the frets between the key rows, and you select them by flicking up with your thumb (see video below). Swipe down on the keyboard to get punctuation symbols; swipe backwards across the keyboard to erase a word. If you tend to type between the O and P, the keyboard will learn this and shift the touch actuator to lie between the two keys.

9) Language. Start typing the word je and the BlackBerry 10 keyboard automatically suggests French words. There is nothing more frustrating than writing in one language and being corrected in another, says Boulben, who is French.

10.) A few other things we dont know about. Boulben said RIM would unveil a couple of extra features at its Jan. 30 announcement, and the handset he showed me was not the finished product.

Overall, RIM is eagerly promoting BlackBerry 10 its not keeping the details about it under wraps like Apple. In fact, Boulben has been in 32 countries in the last four months to promote the **** out of this phone. And for good reason.

By summer 2013 we should know if any of these new features will help RIM stay in the game.

It better not be just "a couple of extra features". RIM needs to blow everyone's minds, and while the Hub, Peek and Flow, Camera, and Keyboard are great, they can't do 4 hours on these features again. They've been shown to death over the past few months now....

"The phone takes away a physical “home” buttons — a bit like Nokia’s Lumia phones. It relies on lots of swiping gestures and shortcuts for one-handed use by on-the-go business types."

I'm not sure what the author meant. Shouldn't it be Nokia's Meego N9? hahaha. Lumia still has 3 capacitive buttons, yes it might not be called "physical", but the windows logo in the middle is still sort of a "home" button. If so then Android which has handsets with capacitive buttons, or on-screen buttons would be considered as without a home button. A minor gripe, but overall a good article.

It better not be just "a couple of extra features". RIM needs to blow everyone's minds, and while the Hub, Peek and Flow, Camera, and Keyboard are great, they can't do 4 hours on these features again. They've been shown to death over the past few months now....

Not that I don't think RIM will have some pleasant surprises in store, but we probably already know all we need to about BB10. Except for apps, of course...

[
3) The phone takes away a physical “home” buttons — a bit like Nokia’s Lumia phones. It relies on lots of swiping gestures and shortcuts for one-handed use by on-the-go business types.
4) The mobile platform, based software by QNX, allows users to have two personas on the device – one for work and one for private life, with separate background images and a password that can stop kids from accidentally calling someone’s boss. Users can swap between the two with a single gesture, and decide what content is deemed personal and accessible, or private and professional on the same device.
9) Language. Start typing the word “je” and the BlackBerry 10 keyboard automatically suggests French words. “There is nothing more frustrating than writing in one language and being corrected in another,” says Boulben, who is French.

3) Is not an advantage itself. I mean, comon, try to sell a phone by saying : "Come here, it's cool, there's no home button!" I only hope it won't scare anyone )
4) Take it off. If it is available only to a small part of corporate clients, it'll do NO EFFECT on the majority of existing and future clients, who are regular users without BES.

9) Don't speak to me about languages Don't It's notorious that Rim is always behind the leaders in the matter of supported input languages (heh, I spoke about my grief with an iPhone user a couple of days ago , the person seemed to be sorry for me : "Well, yeah, it's true that on the iPhone you can choose tha input language"- "You can actually do it on blackberry devices too" - "Really?! Oh...but why don't they provide the same languages?" Oh, never mind, I don't know it myself)

3) Is not an advantage itself. I mean, comon, try to sell a phone by saying : "Come here, it's cool, there's no home button!" I only hope it won't scare anyone )
4) Take it off. If it is available only to a small part of corporate clients, it'll do NO EFFECT on the majority of existing and future clients, who are regular users without BES.

9) Don't speak to me about languages Don't It's notorious that Rim is always behind the leaders in the matter of supported input languages (heh, I spoke about my grief with an iPhone user a couple of days ago , the person seemed to be sorry for me : "Well, yeah, it's true that on the iPhone you can choose tha input language"- "You can actually do it on blackberry devices too" - "Really?! Oh...but why don't they provide the same languages?" Oh, never mind, I don't know it myself)

You know the original poster didn't write the article right? Also, I don't know what you're really trying to say for point number nine.

I thought it was 50 carriers and the latest update on apps is like 122,000 in Blackberry World.

It was 50 carriers at the end of October... it's up over 150 now and probably higher than that. As for the apps, last interview with Boulben, he said over 70,000 but I believe that's what was there at the time, not what will be available at launch. We will see in 3 weeks what the real number is.

3) Is not an advantage itself. I mean, comon, try to sell a phone by saying : "Come here, it's cool, there's no home button!" I only hope it won't scare anyone )
4) Take it off. If it is available only to a small part of corporate clients, it'll do NO EFFECT on the majority of existing and future clients, who are regular users without BES.

9) Don't speak to me about languages Don't It's notorious that Rim is always behind the leaders in the matter of supported input languages (heh, I spoke about my grief with an iPhone user a couple of days ago , the person seemed to be sorry for me : "Well, yeah, it's true that on the iPhone you can choose tha input language"- "You can actually do it on blackberry devices too" - "Really?! Oh...but why don't they provide the same languages?" Oh, never mind, I don't know it myself)

BlackBerry has a TON of languages that it supports. The PlayBook doesnt support as many, but expect that to change with BB10.

BB10 allows for typing of up to three languages within the same body of text, and it will correct you in the appropriate languages. While this is a niche feature, I am not aware of others that do this without having to manually switch languages.

Great article! Most people buy a cell phone because of hardware (5" plus, 1080p), with software as a secondary reason. RIM, 4.3" is too average for a phone with what looks like awesome software, BB10! Don't get left behind again RIM!

BlackBerry has a TON of languages that it supports. The PlayBook doesnt support as many, but expect that to change with BB10.

BB10 allows for typing of up to three languages within the same body of text, and it will correct you in the appropriate languages. While this is a niche feature, I am not aware of others that do this without having to manually switch languages.

Actually, it is not as niche as you might think. There are more people that speak 2 or more languages on planet Earth, than there are that only speak one language.

Actually, it is not as niche as you might think. There are more people that speak 2 or more languages on planet Earth, than there are that only speak one language.

That i understand, and I know quite a few. Though I rarely see them speak in multiple when writing. In conversation it happens frequently, so I am curious if it is a conscious thing on their part or not when writing.

That i understand, and I know quite a few. Though I rarely see them speak in multiple when writing. In conversation it happens frequently, so I am curious if it is a conscious thing on their part or not when writing.

Well, I have several friends that are polyglots, and they tend to text in both languages. Of course with me, it is mostly in English, but I have gotten a word corrected in a few different languages and have had them send me messages in those languages. It helps that I can use my BlackBerry to respond appropriately. Though English is not their 1st language. And they just may not know the English Translation. So I usually have to figure out what they are saying to me. Generally, I get it quickly.

Only until we English speaking peoples successfully impose our monoglot ways on everyone else.

Hahaha Well my Friend, I personally do not want to impose anything on anyone. As an American, I love Freedom. And want everyone to speak the language that they are comfortable in. Though I'm a Monoglot, I try to greet people in their native tongue. Though I butcher it regularly, they appreciate the effort.

Well, I have several friends that are polyglots, and they tend to text in both languages. Of course with me, it is mostly in English, but I have gotten a word corrected in a few different languages and have had them send me messages in those languages. It helps that I can use my BlackBerry to respond appropriately. Though English is not their 1st language. And they just may not know the English Translation. So I usually have to figure out what they are saying to me. Generally, I get it quickly.

Context is a powerful thing isnt it? I hope this feature increases adoption in areas where multiple languages are spoken fluently. Most of my friends are fluent in 2 or 3 languages, but English is their native tongue so that also may account for the discrepancy. Places like Europe where language barriers are far less resistant, this may indeed be a huge feature.

Context is a powerful thing isnt it? I hope this feature increases adoption in areas where multiple languages are spoken fluently. Most of my
friends are fluent in 2 or 3 languages, but English is their native tongue so that also may account for the discrepancy. Places like Europe where language barriers are far less resistant, this may indeed be a huge feature.

Absolutely Darth BlackBerrius. (Not meant to insult, just saying it's time for you to take your righful place as the Dark Lord of the Sith and dipose of the current one. )
But I'm sure that this tech will help out in many nations, the EU included. I have a weird feeling that Africa will see a Boom for BB10. I don't have any concrete evidence or even a good reason...just a hunch.

But if this Language tech is as good as they say it is, then it could tear it up in Africa if the Price is Right, of course.

Hahaha Well my Friend, I personally do not want to impose anything on anyone. As an American, I love Freedom. And want everyone to speak the language that they are comfortable in. Though I'm a Monoglot, I try to greet people in their native tongue. Though I butcher it regularly, they appreciate the effort.

Clearly, for us British, you butcher our native tongue on many an occasion as well. But we'll let you off, since you seem to like playing with it as much as we do - and that can never be a bad thing!

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